Concert Reviews

Tobias Jesso Jr. with WET at The Mod Club

Photographs by Jessica Laforet

The dense crowd at the Mod Club Thursday night is telling of just how fast good news travels, or in this case, good music. The 27 year old Tobias Jesso Jr. from Vancouver has had a whirlwind few years leading to his baroque-pop, 60s’ feeling debut album, Goon released in March of this year, and shortlisted for the 2015 Polaris Prize. It is a wonder how many names have become attached to his formation of Goon, from hot-bed indie producer Ariel Rechtshaid, and Black Keys drummer, Patrick Carney, to Jr.’s post-album success, writing with famed pop heavyweights Adele and Sia. What most may have been wondering, had they missed his sold out show in Toronto back in March at the Drake Underground, was if his self-proclaimed status as a songwriter first, would make for a lackluster live show. In this instance, it can be confirmed as the opposite. 

Jr. was backed by Duck, a six piece group of multi-instrumentalists, equipped with trumpets, saxophones, drums, and guitars (whom Jr. had originally seen while on a date when living in Lose Angeles). The result being a sum-of-its-parts, wholly realized sound that beyond translated the vision of Jr.’s debut. Jr. himself stationed at a trusty piano, the instrument which he only recently picked up, used in writing his newly discovered sound. Playing through highly emotive cuts like, “Without You”, an out-pour of confessions that bleed pain like an open wound singing, “I can hardly breathe without you / there is no future I can see without you”. The album is primarily about a breakup, so of course the content is sad–yet Jr. keeps things light with his banter, highlighting an adorably sincere stage presence. He cracks jokes about his band and his singing ability, to which he continually received bouts of giggling from the crowd. Through it all he seems positive and effortlessly human, beginning his next song like “Can’t Stop thinking About You” or “Hollywood”, where the audience’s mood would change from lighthearted fun, to brooding awe. 

“This one is just me” Jr. says intro-ing a pre-Goon song after Duck have left the stage, “No producer has ever touched this”. This cues into a solemn ballad called, “True Love”, as song Jr. seems especially proud of. Though it was on included on the album, it would have easily fit on his heartbreak-opus record, while acting as a more positive entry, speaking about the acceptance of perceived flaws being a defining moment of true love. Duck return after this, as Jr. plays the first few keys of his last song, cluing to everyone that his arguably most heart wrenching ballad is on its way. “How Could You Babe”, Jr.’s third single from the album, closes the show on passionate note. During drawn out whalings of “hoooow” pulls every memory of heartbreak you’ve ever had from a distant, close enough to touch. His raspy-vocal note hitting here is impeccable, driving the audience wild, and smearing any past commentary that he was “still getting comfortable” with his voice.        

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Writer at Live in Limbo. @miknatz.